A hollow light conductor has the advantage over a light conductor of glass or a synthetic resin that light of a short wavelength can be transported. The limit of the applicability of a glass fibre lies approximately at a wavelength of 280 nm as a result of absorption of the light at shorter wavelengths. A hollow light conductor is suitable, for example, for use in an optical spectrometer, for example, between a grating and a detector. Compared with the use of mirrors, the possibility of damage or pollution is reduced, space is saved and the alignment is considerably simplified.
A hollow light conductor and a method of manufacturing same are disclosed, for example, in the published German patent application DE No. 2452600. In this method, a tube is formed from glass or a synthetic resin, for example by extrusion, after which a metal wire is evaporated in the tube by high frequency heating, a metal layer being formed on the inside of the tube. The tube has an inside diameter from a few .mu.m to a few mm. When a glass tube is used the disadvantage occurs that a light conductor having a large diameter is not very flexible. If a tube from a synthetic resin material is used, the mechanical strength and the resistance to ambient influences, especially after a long period of time, are unsatisfactory for many applications.